So long as I supremely value what you need.
In essence, You-can't-touch-me.”
“How is it your sin has not been stolen?” I ask
“It went missing for a day,
Then magically came back.
It's one of the special traits of our Sin.
We only need will it & it comes like a friend.
If you really want answers
Find Aurora's library.
It's in San-fran-sisco.
But be warned, nothing in those stacks are free.
Now, I believe our deal has been met.
Get out! And don't come back!”
“Why you!” Leigh snaps
I grab her quick
“Enough!” I call holding her tight
“We'll find a way to save him, I promise.”
She gives me a look saying you better
I look to Tom
“Together.”
He gives me a nod
Making a mana portal appears
Destination: San Fran.
I watch Leigh's tears.
They crossed the line
Toying with her heart
I swear I'm going to rip them apart
Trial 13: The unwinnable game
Leland Avenue is where we appear
Visitacion Valley Library
Rundown and vacant – That is clear
We knock on the door
Through the windows we peek
Stacks upon stacks of books towering
Does this place really hold the knowledge we seek?
A voice rings loud
“Who is it?!” It calls
An elegant voice
Reverberating the walls
“O.D.s. We're looking for Aurora.”
“Organization grunts?
Who would've guessed I'd land such a score-a.
You may enter.”
The door swings wide
Weaving through the towers, we slip inside
The door slams
As we make our way deep in the stacks
“What brings you to my library?
What knowledge do you lack?”
“A few things actually.”
I say, looking to the others
As they sift through the books
Most of which are dust covered
“There's so much dust...” Leigh chimes in
“I don't have visitors,” The voice chuckles “let alone
cleaning friends.”
“We're looking for answers.” Tom calls
“Clearly.” Aurora's voice resounds “You wouldn't be
here otherwise.”
“We seek the Sins.” Tom presses on
“The Dragon Sin to be specific.”
“Hehehehe, oh my,
That's a dangerous order...
You'd do better if you just missed it.”
“By authority of the Organization,” There he goes
“You are hereby ordered to reveal what you know.”
“You don't get to order anyone here.”
Aurora's tone now stirring up fear
“This is my library,
And that means my rules.
You'll have to face me in a witty duel.
Should you win, the answers will be yours.
Should you lose, my dinner won't be a bore.”
“Dinner?” I ask
“Yes.” Suddenly, she pounces on top of a giant pile
“A three course meal.” The sphinx licks her lips
“It's been quite a while.”
Looking over her massive paws
Her beautiful face
And terrifying claws
“Well then, let the game begin?” She continues on
“By the way, no leaving,
Or it's an automatic loss.”
She gives a giggle, licking her paws
“Guess we don't have a choice.” I say
“Pick the one,” The sphinx smiles
“Who'll answer.
The other two will stand silent for a while.”
“Nate, you do it.” Leigh grabs at my arm
“I trust you.”
“Yeah,” Tom concurs “I don't really do riddles.”
“No pressure, huh?” I muse, hiding my nerves
“Come now,” Aurora growls
“We haven't got all day.” Descending the stacks,
She begins to prowl
“I'll answer.” I say firm
“Good,” The sphinx purrs “Good to see you're not a
cowering worm...
Yet.”
“Let's do this.” I say
“Very well.” She begins
“I speak with no mouth,
I hear with no ears,
I have no body
And yet am very clear.
What am I?”
“What?” I mumble to myself
No mouth,
No ears,
No body...
I mull it over in my head
Suddenly, a stack of books collapse
On top of Tom's head
“Mind my stacks!” Aurora snaps
“You damage anything and you're dead!”
Aurora's voice echoes off the walls
“That's it!” I call
“The answer is an echo!”
The sphinx scowls and gives a growl
“Correct.” Her tone not at all pleased
“I'll need to up my game. Consider that a free tease.
Your reward as promised:
The dragons sit just a few blocks from here
In a biker garage. I suggest you stay clear.
Now, what is your second question?”
I step forward
“How do we break a curse of Death's reanimation?”
Aurora let's out a vicious roar
“You fool!
A question like that will get all of us killed!”
She takes a breath
“Not that it matters. You won't crack this next riddle.
Not even close, not even a little.
For the next puzzle, you may only answer one or two.
Any answer that is not,
And you automatically lose.
You have ten seconds to answer.
This time the girl shall be the respondent.”
“Wait, me?!” Leigh says surprised
“Don't fret though,” Aurora grins “it's only victory or
you die.
My rules, remember? You cannot decline.
Your best friend and your brother
Have been taken captive.
You must betray one to save the other.
Whom do you choose?
One or two?”
“What the hell kind of question is that?” Tom shouts
“Different people answer that in different ways.
There's no right answer!
There never has been!”
Choosing your brother or your best friend?
This riddle couldn't have come at a worse time
“Speak out of turn again,” Aurora growls
“And you all lose!
Choose girl.
The clock starts now.”
I see the struggle in Leigh's head
Her eyes panicked
Her lips tight
She doesn't want to answer
She's afraid of what it might...
“Three seconds. Choose or die!”
Leigh can't take it; she's gonna cry
“Choose!” The sphinx roars
I can see Leigh cracking down to her core
“Time's up.” Aurora sighs
“Quite the gamble girl.
Did you already know the secret,
Or were you just worried of what your answer could
mean?”
She glares at Leigh, whose eyes full of tears, gleam
“I wasn't for sure,” Leigh wipes her
eyes
“Until you pressured me to choose.
If you really wanted us to lose, then why would you be
so insistent?
Tom's words helped as well.
Either answer would send me to hell.”
“So then I'm curious,” Aurora asks
If you were truly presented the choice?”
“My brother.” It bleeds from Leigh's voice
That is how much he means to her
“Aurora?” I say “Our answer.”
The sphinx growls
“I've never met a pair of humans so clever as you.
The answer you seek resides in the Styx.
Sometimes fire and water do mix.”
“What do you...? Leigh begins to ask
As suddenly through the wall he blasts
The undead Troah quickly lunges forth
Grabbing his sister
And through a flaming portal they soar
No time to think
Not even to process
I watch as a pain surges through my chest
Reaching out my hand
I call her name
Grabbing nothing but air, I yell “Leigh!!!”
Trial 14: Dragging dragons
Falling to my knees and slamming the ground
Fear and panic making me drown
My partner, my friend
Gone without a trace
Into their clutches
The cruelty of fate
I feel the tears forming in my eyes
I feel them swell as I'm about to cry
“Pull it together man.” Tom yanks me to my feet
“She's not gone.
Remember his objective as a thief.
If we can get to the next one before he does
We can set a trap. Effect and cause.”
He's right, now's not the time to despair
She's a tough cookie
To harm her, they wouldn't dare
“I'm warning you both.” Aurora chimes in
“To even approach the dragons
Is a foolish whim.”
“We don't have a choice.” I respond stern
“We have to rescue our friend.”
“And what about me?” The Sphinx scowls
“Thanks to you this place is in shambles now.”
“We'll come back and help you clean up.” I say
“I promise.
Let's get moving Tom.”
And out we rush like a couple of comets
Approaching a sketchy area of town
It's eerily silent – Our footsteps being the only sound
We arrive at a biker bar
Tom grabs me and points his finger
“The mana here's heavy and hard.
I jump at the backfire of a car
We make our way in through the door
Full of hustle and bustle
The smell of beer and wall mounted swords
The moment we enter the commotion stops
Everyone in here glaring at us
Do they know we're cops?
“This isn't the place for children.” The bartender
breathes
I catch a glimpse of his tail
As from his mouth bellows steam
“Organization Detectives.” Tom says
“We're here to check on your Sin.”
Instantly, one of the bikers has us both pinned
Up against the wall
His human facade fades away
Revealing a beast wanting a taste
Crimson scales and golden eyes
Claws and fangs daring us to lie
“We don't need Organization help!”
His booming voice encouraging me to pee myself and
yell
“Are you so sure?” I ask
“The thief being Death himself.
Or as a dragon do you not fear the fires of hell?”
“You look familiar.” He growls
“Have I threatened you before?”
“He's the plumber,” Chimes in another “who came
earlier through the door.”
“The plumber had red eyes, his are blue.”
Tom and I give each other a look out of the corner of our
eyes
“They've been here already!” I bark “Crap!”
“No choice then!” Tom calls
“Ready to rumble?”
“I hate you.” I sigh
“Let's get in trouble!”
With a massive blast of mana we both knock the dragon back
Into a shelf which results in a collapse
“Run!” I yell as we head out the door
Glimpsing the hogs lined up in fours
We give each other a look “Ride.”
We both nod with a smile
Why waste the name, we're going hog wild
“We've got to get some distance,” I say
“Between us and them before we head back.
There's one Sin left.”
“You know who we have to ask.” Tom looks at me stern
“Yeah,” I respond “Don't die, jerk.”
“You either.” He grins “I'd hate to have to do all the
work.”
Though we started out rough
We're bantering like we're partners
Guess we kinda are now
For better or worse
Revving the engines, we peel out and gun it
The dragons piling out the door
Glaring at us, running
“Split up!” I call as we come to a fork in the road
Looking behind, they sure don't move slow
Most still human with sprouted reptilian wings
Flying fast
And their roars sing
Speeding through the streets, weaving through traffic
If it wasn't for the risk of death
This would be fantastic
The revealed dragon who pinned us
Hot on my wheels
Reaching out his claws, mere inches away
Left, up the road
Narrowly missing a pedestrian
Coming up on an intersection
I see the semi approaching
Gunning it to the max